1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a waveform data processing apparatus and method, and a machine readable medium containing program instructions for realizing such an apparatus and a method using a computer system, and more particularly to an apparatus and a method capable of constituting a musical performance data string containing waveform event data which represent events for employing waveform samples. As the waveform event data is played back, each of the events triggers the playback of the corresponding waveform sample so that an alignment of the played-back waveform samples forms a musical performance.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the field of electronic musical instruments and computer music, there are known in the art such an apparatus as a sampler which records waveform data from tones or voices actually produced in the air or in the electronic circuit by various musical apparatuses or natural sound sources. In the known sampler, waveform data pieces obtained by sampling actually produced tones or sounds are recorded and assigned to the controls or manipulating devices for playing music of the apparatus such as keys in a keyboard and beating pads and ten played back according to the manipulation of the control devices for playing music as a real-time music performance, or the waveform data pieces are correlated to the note event codes in a musical permanence data string (automatic musical performance data) for a sequencer (automatic music performing apparatus) and then are played back automatically.
However, in the case where the waveform data representing waveform samples are used for an automatic music performance, the waveform data are recorded beforehand, and then a musical performance data string is constituted by locating note events (as trigger signals) at positions along a music progression at which the respective waveform samples are to be played back. In this connection, when the waveform samples are imputted and recorded in real time by manipulating the input device in tempo with a metronome clicking or a pre-recorded musical performance being played back, the waveform samples themselves cannot be recorded in the form of waveform data for an automatic music performance.
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide a novel type of waveform data processing apparatus and method, and a machine readable medium containing a program therefor capable of constituting a musical performance data string in association with waveform data representing waveform samples which may be easily edited and is convenient for use in an automatic musical performance apparatus.
According to the present invention, the object is accomplished by providing a waveform data processing apparatus comprising: a waveform data recording device which records waveform data representing waveform samples; and a waveform events track recording device which record, on a waveform events track defining a musical progression with respect to time, waveform event data representing events for employing waveform samples to constitute a musical performance; wherein the waveform event data includes trigger signals at time points where respectively corresponding ones of the waveform samples are to be employed along the musical progression on the waveform events track for constituting the musical performance, and wherein the trigger signals serve to trigger the playback of the waveform samples recorded in the waveform recording device in accordance with reading out the waveform events tracks.
According to the present invention, the object is further accomplished by providing a waveform data processing apparatus comprising: a waveform data recording device which records waveform data representing waveform samples, each having a length and defining at least one musical tones, each tone having a build-up point; a waveform events track recording device which records, on a waveform events track defining a musical progression with respect to time, waveform event data representing events for employing the waveform samples to constitute a musical performance; and a waveform data splitting device which detect at least one of the build-up points and splits the waveform data at the detected build-up point into waveform sub-samples; wherein the waveform event data includes trigger signals at time points where respectively corresponding ones of the waveform samples and sub-samples are to be employed along the musical progression on the waveform events track for constituting the musical performance, and wherein the trigger signals serving to trigger the playback of the waveform samples and sub-samples recorded in the waveform recording device in accordance with reading out the waveform events track.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a waveform data processing apparatus may further comprise a data edition device which edits the trigger signals in the waveform event data correspondingly with the waveform data in response to an edit instruction for the waveform event track.
According to the present invention, the object is sill further accomplished by providing a method for processing a waveform data comprising: a step of recording waveform data representing waveform samples; and a step of recording, on a waveform events track defining a musical progression with respect to time, waveform event data representing events for employing waveform samples to constitute a musical performance; wherein the waveform event data includes trigger signals at time points where respectively corresponding ones of the waveform samples are to be employed along the musical progression on the waveform events track for constituting the musical performance, and wherein the trigger signals serve to trigger the playback of the waveform samples recorded in the waveform recording device in accordance with reading out the waveform events track.
According to the present invention, the object is still further accomplished by providing a method for processing a waveform data comprising a step of recording a step of recording waveform data representing waveform samples; each having a length and defining at least one musical tones, each tone having a build-up point; a step of recording, on a waveform events track defining a musical progression with respect to time, waveform event data representing events for employing the waveform samples to constitute a musical performance; a step of detecting at least one of the build-up points; and a step of splitting the waveform data at the detected build-up point into waveform sub-samples; wherein the waveform event data includes trigger signals at the points where respectively corresponding ones of the waveform samples and sub-samples are to be employed along the musical progression on the waveform events track for constituting the musical performance, and wherein the trigger signals serve to trigger the playback of the waveform samples and sub-samples recorded in the waveform recording device in accordance with reading out the waveform events track.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, a method for processing a waveform data may further comprise a step of editing the trigger signals in the waveform event data correspondingly with the waveform data in response to an edit instruction for the waveform event track.
According to the present invention the object is still further accomplished by providing a machine readable medium for use in a waveform data processing apparatus comprising a computer, the medium containing program instructions executable by the computer for executing: a process of recording waveform data representing waveform samples; and a process of recording, on a waveform events track defining a musical progression with respect to time, waveform event data representing events for employing waveform samples to constitute a musical performance, wherein the waveform event data includes trigger signals at time points where respectively corresponding ones of the waveform samples are to be employed along the musical progression on the waveform events track for constituting the musical performance, and wherein the trigger signals serve to trigger the playback of the waveform samples recorded in the waveform recording device in accordance with reading out the waveform events track.
As will be apparent from the description herein later, some of the structural element devices of the present invention are configured by a computer system performing the assigned functions according to the associated programs. They may of course be hardware structured discrete devices. Therefore, a hardware-structured device performing a certain function and a computer-configured arrangement performing the same function should be considered a same-named device or an equivalent to each other.